In My Humble Opinion

For something completely different, I’m tired. Aging gracefully has never been my strong suit, and when I pass a mirror these days, I wince a little and move on. As a kid, I lamented my special day (read “birthday”) being usurped by Memorial Day, since many families would head out of town, leaving me friendless on my special day. In my 20s, I was convinced that the nation was throwing a party just for me, and reveled in the fireworks and parades that honored the day I came into the world. After 30, I became blasé for a decade or two and now… well, I’m feelin’ kinda old. Read more

Believe it or not, being the center of attention is not always my cup of tea. In my mind’s eye, I see some of you laughing and shaking your heads, but it’s true. In fact, there are times when I’m downright shy (hold the guffaws), so when I marched in to the Callicoon Brewing Co. (www.callicoonbrewing.com) the other night under the guise of spending some quality time with my “work wife,” the amazing Amanda Reed, I was not prepared for a surprise party. Read more

It’s no secret that I love what I do for a living. Whether it’s catching a new show in town, checking out the latest art installation, or attending local events in any number of charming hamlets and villages scattered across this gorgeous playground we call home, there is always something stimulating and picturesque calling to me. Read more

No, that can’t be right. Some folks think my life is all play and no work, but that doesn’t quite fit either. I believe that my busy schedule of concerts, art shows, festivals and parades suits me, and as the dog and I careen through the four counties, 60 communities and two states that serve as the territory we cover for The River Reporter here in the Upper Delaware River region, I would prefer to think that although I may be a lot of things, dull isn’t one of them. Nor is my events calendar, which is quickly filling up. Read more

Well, it finally happened. After getting an iPawd and my own social networking page (www.facebook.com/DharmaTheWonderDog), the fine folks at The River Reporter have finally wised up and decided to let me take over from you-know-who and write a decent column for a change. Since I have my paws firmly on the ground, I’m thinking of calling it “The Waggin’ Train,” but we’ll have to see how HE handles the news before the fur flies. Read more

OK, I’m just gonna ‘fess up right off the bat. With Passover in full swing and Easter springing up everywhere I looked, I wasn’t really in the mood to do much last weekend, other than play hooky, soak up some much needed rays and kick back. It seemed like the perfect time to rest up and conserve energy for the good times are about to seriously roll through come “high season” in the Upper Delaware River Valley, so I called the office claiming to be “sick” and begged off making an appearance. Read more

That was my thought process last week as I headed out the door to check in at the 2014 Green Tourism conference in Callicoon, NY (www.DelawareHighlands.org/greentourism), but in fact, it’s easier than one might think. That was one of the topics of conversation that came up when I stopped to chat briefly with working group coordinator Adrienne Picciano. Even though it was still early in the day, the conference was already being heralded as a success. “It all came about from a conversation with friends and folks at the Delaware Highlands Conservancy (DHC),” Picciano told me. Read more

Of course, by “around here” I mean the Upper Delaware River Valley, and by “fishy” I mean that the majority of the last week has been all about trout. Since I know next to nothing about fishing, fly or otherwise, I gave Phil Eggleton (www.trouttownadventuresandguideservices.com) a call. Confused about when the seasons actually begin and end, I was glad to have Eggleton set me straight on a few pertinent facts. Read more

Yes, I’m referring to the elusive springtime that teases and retreats, leaving me dumbfounded. One minute I’m singing a happy tune and the next? Well, the weeping willow springs to mind. According to my therapist, I have “control issues,” but even I can see the folly in thinking that I can force the seasons to change. Instead, I’ve chosen to force a few bulbs to bloom on my desk and pretend that spring has sprung. It is, after all, in the air. One of the signs of renewal popped up over the last week in Livingston Manor, NY, as an amazing aroma wafted down Main Street. Read more

Having survived the flu and determined to join the real world once again, I had a spring in my step when Skytop Farm (www.skytopfarmny.com) manager Jen Franklin called to inform me that there were new foals to visit, so I slipped a CD in the player, put pedal to the metal and drove myself to the sprawling acreage that is home to the thoroughbred horses that call Skytop home. The breeding farm that boasts “around the clock care for your mare during and after her pregnancy” is a bucolic setting nestled in the hills above Roscoe, NY, and the two new colts were as precious as possible. Read more

Jonathan Fox currently lives in Sullivan County. Having written for film and television, he now concentrates his efforts on novels, plays and assorted periodicals, along with his weekly "Humble Opinion" on life in the Catskills.